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Read Your Way to the Top

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius

How many books have you read since the beginning of the year?

Some of you might say 'too many'; some may say 'none'.

Reading is, as we all know, important. We were taught to first spell when we were young. Once we can spell, we can read.

Reading is a part of your everyday life. You read news, signs, advertisements, books – all the text that your eyes can see, you read. You read because you want to know. You read because you want to fill in the blanks in your mind, to find knowledge and the answers to questions you can’t ignore.

To read is to open your mind and your world. Some people know so many things about almost everything, not because they are a ‘know-it-all’ type, but because they read extensively.

Margaret Fuller, an important American journalist in the 19th century, once said "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." She was, and still is, right. Great people read a lot. And that’s one reason they become great and important. You develop your mind, thoughts and perspective towards the world when you read. The more you read, the better you understand the world, and most importantly, yourself. Once you fully understand who you really are, you can improve yourself. Only after that will you realise that the success you want is within your reach.

Reading also expands your knowledge and information. Reading is feeding food to the mind and soul. The more you read, the more you learn. And the more you learn, surprisingly, the more you hunger to know more. It is a never-ending learning process – it is ultimately a process of enlightenment.

While you read, your mind is encouraged to imagine. Imagination opens up your mind because it has no limitations. It is also a good source for new innovations and development.

Books help you communicate better. Communication is an important factor if you want to be a success.

If you don’t know what to read, start with something simple, something that you’re interested in. It doesn’t have to be something serious. Stick to something you like and it will last longer. Read something you don’t like and you won’t even finish the first chapter. You can even start with the news, which tend to be short and easily digested. Read one news article a day and you’ll read 365 articles a year. Read one book a month and you’ll read 12 books a year. Imagine how much you’ll learn from those 365 articles and 12 books.

If you don’t like to read, change your attitude. There is a wealth of knowledge out there for you to experience. Start now and become more of a reader.